People often neglect to change the default password that the manufacturer provides on their home router. Cybercriminals take advantage of this neglect and can gain access to your network. In turn, they may compromise data stored on other devices connected to your router. For steps to change your router’s password, see the respective manufacturer website.

Many devices in your smart home, from your Wi-Fi router to a new baby monitor, may ship with a default username and password, such as “admin” for both credentials. You should change them as soon as possible to avert exposure to botnets designed to take over devices with easily guessed login credentials.

Most people know not to share their passwords with others, especially if they’ve been recycled. However, some people choose to disregard this advice when it comes to trusted guests who ask for access to their home network. Check with your internet service provider or update your router settings to establish a guest network instead.

When using a home router, ensure you have changed the username and password from the common factory set of admin/admin. Disable WPS, which is both insecure and susceptible to brute force attacks. If possible, use a secure router for work use only, and monitor traffic to ensure your child isn’t using it for Minecraft access.

When you connect a computer to the internet, it’s also connected to millions of other computers—a connection that could allow attackers access to your computer. Although cable modems, digital subscriber lines (DSLs), and internet service providers (ISPs) have some level of security monitoring, it’s crucial to secure your router—the first securable device that receives information […]

Leaving a default passphrase unchanged makes it much easier for hackers to access your network. You should change it as soon as possible. A strong passphrase is a sentence that is at least 12 characters long. Focus on positive sentences or phrases that you like to think about and are easy to remember (for example, […]